William Garrett Forbes was born July 16, 1942 in Garrard County, Kentucky.  The fourth of eight children born to Charley and Bertha Margaret Forbes, he grew up in a poor household in the post-war 1950s.  He overcame poverty by finding WORK.  Hard work, wherever he could find it.  Jobs like farming... painting the pillars of the historic Boone's Tavern in Town Square of Berea... going all the way to Cincinnati to do manual labor for an old businessman who simply liked what he saw in his work ethic.  And in August of 1961, he found his calling... in the United States Navy.
While serving in the Navy, Bill developed a passion for aircraft. From fixed wing to helicopters, he would master the skills of an Aviation Maintenance Structural Mechanic.   In addition, he obtained his own private pilot license.  He received letters of commendation from nearly every squadron commander whom he served, and eventually earned the distinguished  Navy Achievement Medal.  During his Naval career, his thorough knowledge of aviation powerplants helped him excel to the pay grade of Senior Chief Petty Officer.  He deployed on numerous aircraft carriers during many historic engagements, most notably the Cuban Missle Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Grenada conflict of 1983 and the Libyan conflict of 1986.  He was honorably discharged in August of 1989 with 28 years of service.
After retiring from the Navy, Bill worked for several civilian contractors in the airline industry during the 1990s.  He resided in Dharan, Saudi Arabia,  Dallas, Texas, Lake City, Florida and Tucson, Arizona.  Eventually, in November of 2004, he would return to Palatka, Florida in order to spend his retirement near family.  After he had been stationed in Lemore, California in the early 1960s, Jacksonville, Florifa in the late 1960s, Brunswick, Maine and Rota, Spain in the 1970s, Bill had decided to settle in Palatka, Florida in 1977.  Subsequently, he would somehow manage to get four consecutive tours of duty in the Jacksonville area in order to provide stability for his family.
Bill was married to Sondra Lafern England in December of 1963 and eventually had two sons.  As a father, he taught his sons the value of hard work, personal responsibility and straight-forward honesty.
Bill was an avid gardener, a reader, and was a generous man.  He was recognized for rendering aid... impromptu, and with no expectation of compensation whatsoever.  He was deeply concerned about current events, American politics, the state of our Union, and the world at large.  A baptized Christian, he was steadfast in his support of faith-based initiatives and conservative principles, and he believed that the Holy Bible is the final moral authority.  Ultimately, on June 21, 2011, he departed this life of suffering and human frailties.  He will be missed by many.
He is survived by his two sons, William Garrett Forbes II and Anthony Joseph Forbes; former wife and friend, Sondra Forbes, all of Palatka, FL; two brothers, Oscar Forbes of Tampa, FL; James Grover Forbes of Mount Vernon, KY; three sisters, Edna Mae Lainhart of Berea, KY, Virginia Catherine Forbes of Lee's Summit, MO, and Wanda Jean Corder of Oak Hill, WV; a daughter-in-law, Sharon Forbes of Palatka, FL, two sisters-in-law, Kathy Forbes of Tampa, FL and Donna Forbes of Mount Vernon, KY; three grandchildren, Joshua Garrett Forbes of Fort Leavenworth, KS, Amanda Marie Forbes of Melrose, FL, and Christopher Jay Forbes; two great-grandchildren, Zoe Maddalyn Forbes and Darin Patrick Lyons. Funeral service with full military honors will be presented at 1:00 PM Tuesday, June 28th at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida

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MacDonald Funeral Home